haha so the empress' family are basically showing their asses by starting this usurpation ...

I think she really believes the emperor is dead. Because from Tia explanation, this Titi Poison’s antidote should be something easy enough to get but not always ready on the shelves (like need to pre-order, I guess).
That’s why, right now, Empress thinks ML was simply doing everything he can to postpone “Emperor’s death” and try to manoeuvre things. And if that’s true, she can explain the soldier as something needed because ML try to usurp the throne from the Empress.

We only know this coup is futile because we read the scene where Tia give the antidote to ML which might be re-given to Emperor. But from Empress’ pov, it’s impossible for the Emperor to be recuperating or even alive.

I believe the antidote was in the drink that the second prince had gave the emperor when they had their little private meeting before the council meeting.

So I believe the emperor is just resting and also listening to what is actually happening outside the door. But that’s just my thought.

Actuallyyy, it does. the antidote is in the tea that Perez gave the emperor before.
Spoiler.......


















-the empress will be shock, as expected that the emperor is alive.
more so shocked that Maid Otua was not loyal to her anymore haha
Perez had it planned all along. it was implied that He somewhat blackmailed Maid Otua as he knew that she is the same maid who put poison on his food everyday when he was still young.
The maid confessed infront of everybody in that room ,in front of the emperor, that it was the empress doing to poison the emperor annnnddd, she got dragged to be imprisoned.
To what happens after she was imprisoned, it was chef kiss for me. It is said , since they are still royalty, they cannot punished her and astana in execution style, but rather only be imprisoned forever.Perez gave back to what the empress did to him and his mother before, with astana. I dont know, astana is just so an unredeemable character.